Cooling means for air cooled internal combustion engines



Nov. 17, me. E. A. RYDER 2,061,171

COOLING MEANS FOR AIR COOLED INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed March 21, 1955 INVENTOR.

Ear/E/Z/gyder BY 2 1 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 17, 1936 UNITED STAT ooomve means FOR am C 1 mrmar. comnus'rron enemas Earle a Ryder, West w I 1 10rd, Comm, assignor,

by mesne assignments, to United Aircraft Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Application March 21, 1935, Serial No. 12,182 11 (01. 123-171 This invention relates to improvements in 0001-. ing means for air cooled, internal combustion engines and has particular reference to improvements in a sectional air pressure baflie placed across the stream of cooling air to increase the velocity of the airstream in the vicinity of the heat transferring portions of the engine, as described in application of Albert L; MacClain, Serial No. 621,425 flled July 8, 1932. It is one of the objects of the invention to provide a coolingmeans of the type indicated 'which is resiliently securedto the engine and. which may be readily mounted on and dismounted from the engine.

' Other objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrate a suitable mechanical embodiment of the idea 0 the invention. The drawing, however, is for the purpose of illustration only and is not to be taken 0 as limiting the invention, the scope of which is to be measured entirely by the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is an elevational view of a fragmentary portion of a radial type, air

cooled, internal combustion engine showing the sections of the air pressure diaphragm in place and the means for supporting such sections on the engine structure. Figure 2 is a top plan view of a fragmentary portion of one of the diaphragm sections or baiiies showing in detail a quick detachable device for securing the section to the engine. Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line il-t of Figure 2, and Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 ofFigure 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the numeral it indicates generally, the crankcase of an internal combustion engine upon which are supported a plurality of radially extending cylinders so it. The cylinders may be arranged in one or more rows, with the axes of all the cylinders in the same row lying in the same circumferential plane. Each cylinder comprises a barrel portion it, a head portion i6, and a. pair of valve rocker arm 45 boxes 58 and E9, the surface of the barrel and head portions of each cylinder being provided with heat transferring flns 2d.

The engine is cooled in the well known manner, by means of a blast of air forced through the en- 50 gine by the propeller or by the forward motion of the vehicle, such as an airplane, upon which the engine is mounted. In order to cause the volume of coolingair flowing through the engine to flow along the cooling surface of the cylinders at the 55 maximum velocity, the spaces between adjacent cylinders and between the rocker arm boxes of each cylinder are closed oif by means of diaphragm sections or baffles 22 and 24 respectively. 7 Each bafiie comprises a, domed member preferably formed of sheet metal and having its outer edge turned over or flanged as indicated at 25 in Figure 4 and to form, when the baflies are all assembled on the engine, a continuous circumferential flat ring 28 around the outer circumference of the engine. If desired the engine may be surrounded by a suitable streamlined cowling 29 which may be supported upon and enclose the ring formed by the flanged outer edges of the adjoining baflies. The cylinder head baiiles 2d are secured to the engine by means of brackets 30 and 3| located, respectively, at opposite ends 7 of the bafile, at the outer or circumferential edge thereof. These brackets extend inwardly, as clearly illustrated in Figure 1, and-are preferably apertured at the inner ends and rigidly secured I'to the exhaust and intake ports respectively of the engine cylinder by suitable means such as the bolts 33. Referring to Figure 3, it will be observed that the upper end of each of the brackets 30 and 3| is bent over to fit within the flanged outer edge of the bafiie 24. A spacer 3d is interposed between the inner surface of the bafiie flange and the respective bracket, the bracket and spacer being secured to the battle by suitable means such as a rivet 35. By means of the above described bracket construction the small cylinder head baffles 25 are rigidly secured to the engine cylinders.

The larger intercylinder baflles 22 are each pro-. vided at the outer edge with a, quick detachable device comprising a spring catch which includes a pair of oppositely extending slidable latch membars 37 and 38 mounted'in channel members 39 and 50 secured to the under surface of the bent over outer edge or flange of the heme by suitable means, such as rivets 52. The latch members 31 and 38 are bent over at their inner ends as indicated at 36 and a coil compression spring 45 is inserted between the bent over inner ends of the latch members to force the latch members outwardly in opposite directions, the bent over ends it also serving as finger pieces by means of which the latch members may be retracted within the limits of the bafiie member on which they are mounted.

Referring to Figure 2 it will be observed that the spacer members 31% are cut-out as indicated at A38 to form latch keepers for the latch members 31 and 38. The sides of the cut-out portion along the length of the ring 28 are tapered outwardly ,0 i-ain'directing sections, and quick detachable and the outer ends the latch members are also tapered to form a wedging fit in the respective openings 48.

From the construction so far described, it will be observed that after the head baiiies 24 have been rigidly secured to the engine .by means of the bolts 23 extending through the inner ends of the brackets 30 and 3|, the intercylinder baiiies may be quickly and easily secured-in place by moving the latch members Hand in a direction to compress the spring, placing the battle member .22 in such a position that the ends of the latch members will be opposite the-latch keepers 48 provided on the baflies 24 and then releasing the latch members 31 and 38 so that the spring 45 'will.force the outer ends of the latch members into the keep ers. The tapered construction of the keepers and latch members will provide a tight connection between the baiiies 24 and 22 and efiectively prevent a'ny'rattling or vibration or loosening of the baflles as the engine dimensions change due to changes in engine temperature.

As the intercylinder baiiies 22 extend inwardly for the entire length of the cylinders, they are 25 relativelylon g and narrow and hence must necessarily 'besecured to the engine at their inner ends. In order to accomplish this I have provided on each balile 22 suitable contact surfaces or chating strips adapted to bear against portions: of the outer surfaces of the adjacent cylinders and have provided through the lower-end of the baifle a reinforced aperture 55 particularly illustrated in Figure 5, a plate 55 having tapered ends is fitted against the surfaces of the cylinders on the side opposite the baiiie 22 and provided centrally thereof with a bolt 58swhich, when the plate 56 is in position, extends through the aperture 55. The end of the bolt extending through the aperture is threaded and provided with a wing nut '60 which 40 bears against the surface of the baflie and forcesthe lower end of the baflie tightly against the adjacent surfaces of the cylinders.

By means of the construction described the intercylinder bailies 22 are rigidly secured to the 5 engine by a quick detachable means at their outer ends and by a readily removable means at the inner ends so that the bafiies may be quickly and easilysecured to the engine or detached therefrom. The construction also renders it possible to dismount one cylinder from the engine without the necessity oi removing any of the ba'iiles other than those in direct contact with the cylinder to be dismounted. While I have illustrated and described in detail a particularmechanical embodiment which my invention may take, it is to be understood that the. invention is not limited to the embodiment so illustrated and described, but that such changes 7 in the size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to as come within the scope of the appended claims. j v

Having now described my invention so that [others skilled in the art may clearly understand the same, whatI desire to secure by Letters Patcut is as-i'ollows: r

' 1. In combination with an air-cooled internal mbusti'on engine, a sectional air pressure diainterposed across the stream of cooling 'ir toijsaid engine comprising two or more grou eans comprising spring pre latch members m0 1i1t1ngtlie ctions or at lea t; one of said v engine. I In com!)ination, with an air cooled intern ne having a plurality of cylinders baflies together and .to

-members and fixed latch keepers for securing said intercylinder battles to said engine.

-3. In combination with an air cooled internal combustion engine, :a' sectional air pressure diaphragm comprising a plurality oi cylinder head 10 bailies alternately disposed with a plurality of intercylinder bailies interposed across the stream of cooling air to said engine, means for rigidly securing said cylinder head baiiles to said engine and quick detachable means for securing. said intercylll inder bafiles to said cylinder head baflies.

4. In combination with an, air cooled internal combustion engine, a sectional air pressure diaphragm interposed across the stream of cooling air to said engine, and quick detachable'means 2 for mounting said sections on said engine'comprising, apertured brackets for rigidly securing alternate bafiies to said engine and spring pressed latch members on the intermediate baflles for detachably securing said intermediate baiiies to said 2 alternate baiiies.

. apertured brackets rigidly secured to said cylinder head baflies and detachably boltedto said engine, 35 and spring pressed latch members slidably mounted on each of'said intercylinder baflles extending beyond the limits thereof, and latch keepers on said head baflies to receive the outer ends of said latch members. 4

6. In combination with an air-cooled internal combustion engine, a sectional air pressure diaphragm comprising a plurality of cylinder head baiiies alternately disposed with a plurality of intercylinder-bellies interposed across'the stream 45 0t cooling air, means for resiliently securing said said engine comprising,

brackets secured to said cylinder head'baflies and to said engine, latch keepers on said brackets, a pair of oppositely disposed latch members on 50 each 01 said intercylinderbaflies engageable in said keepers, acompression spring between the latch members of each pair, and readily removablemeans for securing the inner end of each intercylinder baflie to said engine. 56 7. In combination with an air cooled, internal combustion engine having a'plurality of spaced apart .cylinders, a sectional air pressure diaphragm comprising a plurality of cylinder head baflies alternately arranged with a plurality oi 60 intercylinder baiiies disposed across the stream of cooling air to said engine, and means for mounting said diaphragm on said engine comprising, bracket members for securing said cylinder head bailies to said engine cylinders, latch keepers on said brackets, slidably mounted latch members on said intercylinder b iiies, and springs carried by said intercylinder battles for forcing saidlatch members into resilient engagement in said latch keepers, said baiiles being flanged transversely at their outer edges to provide a continuous, flexibly interconnected strip along the outer dimensions of said engine cylinders.

spaced apart cylinders, a sectional air pressure diaphragm comprising a plurality of cylinder head bafiies alternately arranged with a plurality of intercylinder baffles disposed across the stream of cooling air to said engine, and means for mounting said diaphragm on said engine comprising, bracket members on said cylinder head bafiies secured tosaid engine cylinders, latch keepers on said brackets, slidably mounted latch members on said intercylinder baflies, and springs carried by said intercylinder baflles for forcing said latch members into resilient'engagement in said latch keepers, said bafiles being curved longitudinally and flanged transversely at their outer edges to provide a continuous, flexibly interconnected ring around the outer -circumference of said engine.

9. In combination with a radial air cooled internal combustion engine having a plurality of spaced. apart cylinders, a sectional air pressurediaphragm comprising a plurality of. cylinder head baflles alternately arranged with a plurality of intercylinder baffles disposedacross the stream of cooling air to said engine to deflect said air to the surfaces of said cylinders, and means for resiliently securing said bailies together and mounting them on said engine, said baflles being curved longitudinally and flanged transversely at theirouter edges to provide a continuous flexibly interconnected ring around the outer circumference of said engine.

10. In combination with an internal combustion engine having a plurality of radially disposed cylinders and a plurality of air bafiles disposed between and around said cylinders to restrict the flow of air through said engine, quick detachable means comprising flnger releasable spring pressed latch members independently securing individual bafiles to the cylinders of said engine.

11. Incombination with an internal combustion engine having a plurality of radially disposed cylinders, a cowl surrounding said engine, and a plurality of. air baflies disposed between adjacent engine cylinders and closing the spaces between said engine and said cowl, means connecting said engine, said baflies, and said cowl, said means including quick detachable spring pressed connecting means for attaching individual baflies to said engine.

EARLE A. RYDER. 

